FIFA CORRUPTION: High-Ranking FIFA Official Identified By FBI As Bribe Suspect

FIFA vice-presidents Alfredo Hawit and Juan Angel Napout were arrested at the request of US authorities in Switzerland

A high-ranking FIFA official has been identified by the FBI as a criminal suspect in a 10million US dollar bribe paid in return for votes 2010 World Cup hosts South Africa, it has emerged. A new indictment from the US department of justice refers to the high-ranking official as "co-conspirator #17" and states he caused three payments totalling 10million US dollars to be wired from a FIFA account in Switzerland to an account controlled by the now-disgraced FIFA vice-president Jack Warner.

It is not stated who co-conspirator #17 is but the development is likely to cause intense concern to those at FIFA who were involved in the payment.

Press Association report continues:

Two letters from different South African FA officials in 2007 and 2008 instruct FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke - who is currently suspended - to make the payment. The indictment states the money in the payment was in return for World Cup votes by Warner and his deputy Chuck Blazer, who has pleaded guilty to the charge.

An email from Valcke in December 2007 also states Sepp Blatter, who is also currently suspended from his post as FIFA president, had been involved with discussions over the payment. Valcke and Blatter have insisted they believed the money was to help football development in the Caribbean.

The US attorney general released the new indictments following the arrests in Zurich of two more FIFA vice-presidents - Juan Angel Napout, the head of South American football from Paraguay, and CONCACAF president Alfredo Hawitt. They were among 16 new officials indicted as part of a conspiracy accused of corruption offences totalling £130million.

Both are in custody and are fighting extradition to the USA, and have had 90-day provisional bans imposed on them by FIFA's ethics committee.

Meanwhile, sportswear giant Nike has defended itself after the indictment made new accusations saying Ricardo Teixeira, former head of the Brazil's football federation (CBF), made 20million US dollars out of the company's 1996 sponsorship deal with the national team.

The indictments state the company agreed to pay 160million US dollars for a 10-year deal to sponsor the CBF - but also agreed pay an affiliate of Traffic, the marketing company at the centre of the corruption allegations, an additional 40million US dollars into a Swiss bank account. Of this, half was then transferred to Teixeira, who was also a FIFA executive committee member until 2012.

A Nike statement said: "There is no allegation in the charging documents that any Nike employee was aware of or knowingly participated in any bribery or kickback scheme.

"Nike believes in ethical and fair play in both business and sport and strongly opposes any form of manipulation or bribery."

It is the second time in a week that attention has been focused on Nike's sponsorship agreements - athletics' global body the IAAF has suspended three senior Kenyan officials over allegations they subverted anti-doping procedures and embezzled funds from a Nike endorsement deal.

The FBI announced on Friday that one of the 16 officials indicted, 62-year-old Hector Trujillo who is a judge in Guatemala, was arrested on a cruise ship in Florida.

In another development, the European Club Association (ECA) has hit out at proposed FIFA reforms that could include expanding the World Cup from 32 teams to 40.

FIFA's executive committee has deferred a decision for reports by the organization’s administration but there is strong support for the change, especially from Asia and Africa, and it could be implemented for the 2026 tournament.

An ECA statement said: "The recommendation by the committee to enhance the number of participating teams in the FIFA World Cup from 32 to 40 without prior consultation with the clubs (in full knowledge of the impact this will have on the professional club game), is proof that the proposed reforms are not at the required standard allowing for a new and modern FIFA.

"Given the recommendations that have now been presented, ECA was right to believe that a reform process led from within is unable to deliver a sustainable governance model, which is fit for the 21st century. Clubs are not prepared to be further ignored."